Dear visitor, welcome to SPRINKLER TALK FORUM - You Got Questions, We've Got Answers. If this is your first visit here, please read the Help. It explains how this page works. You must be registered before you can use all the page's features. Please use the registration form, to register here or read more information about the registration process. If you are already registered, please login here.

Please help me fix previous owner's design

Hi all,

Moved into a property where the previous owner either self installed their system or had a "budget" installer do the work. For the most part I am satisfied, but there is a mish-mash of impact heads, pop-up heads and rotor heads. They all seem to be doing the job ok, just seems odd to me.

I am having issues with one zone not properly watering some odd shaped areas of lawn that are broken up by concrete walk-ways. Attached is a drawing of the zone in question and how it interacts with the overlapping zone. Zone 2 isn't fully documented here, I just wanted to illustrate the overlap. The spray distance isn't quite to scale, but should get the point across. Please help me find the best way to cover the two small areas of grass that are now trying to be covered by the pop-ups. I'm willing to swap heads and branch off of the existing line. I'd really like to avoid having to run another circuit to that area as it is on the opposite side of the house and lot from the controller and manifold. If it can't be done without another circuit, I'll probably add some more rock hardscape that won't need watering.

If it can be done without watering the sidewalk that runs through the middle that would be great. However I am not completely against it being watered if I had to go with rotors and run that zone longer.

Adding heads to existing zones with a limited amount of available flow is best done with MP Rotators in place of sprays, and PGPs for rotors (there are other favorite rotors, but the PGP has the widest selection of nozzle sizes, for adding heads to existing zones)

You'll have to add a head or two in both of the grassy areas on right of steps.
Boots is right on the hardware.
To get the water off the walk by the pink zone you can cut back on the angle of the rotors and add a couple of popups on the curve, one at the sidewalk next to the rotor spraying back in.
It's messy but could give you what you need.

Thanks guys. From what I am gathering, I should replace a couple of the sparys with rotors. Since the spray distance of the rotor is greater in some of the spots (particularly directly to the right of the steps against the house) should I put one in the corner up against the house and spray away from the house. The distance will overlap the one sidewalk, but if it must be I am fine with that. The existing spray would probably be maintained to get coverage against the house near the rotor (or will the rotor provide enough coverage close to the head?).

I might draw my own revision and see what you all think.

The spray on to the sidewalk on the left-hand side of the stairs isn't quite as drastic in real life so I am not too concerned with it. In reality I think I can eliminate at least the one spray on that side. Maybe even replace the remaining spray with a rotor for better coverage distance.

On a sidenote... I'm not familiar with Hunter too much. I've grown up around Rain Bird since I was a kid when my dad installed his own systems. Are the MP & PGP better than the 5004 rotors? I have a few impacts in other zones that I think I am going to replace because the impacts don't always return or take longer to trip for the return than they should. I'm guessing it's a flow issue so I'll go with a rotor on those zones.

First, look at MP Rotators . They are a different breed than the rotors or spray heads. They will be very helpful in your situation. Note the distances they cover and they fit on existing pop ups.

Hunter PGP is the most popular rotor out there and comes with 12 nozzles to adjust flow.
The Rain Bird 5004 is, in my opinion, just as good and I like the spray distribution better.
It comes with 12 nozzles also but 4 are for low angle, not usually needed.
Either will work.

Thanks. I'll look deeper into the MP's over the weekend and see what I can come up with.

I'm going to try to post a revised design to make sure I am on the right track. Most of the designs I've done in the past have been, fortunately, fairly symmetrical zones so I haven't had to deal with curves, random sidewalks and small coverage areas.

Finally back to this project. After looking into everything I am very impressed. One concern I do have is mixing the pop-ups with the rotors. I know the Rain Bird Rotary Pop-Ups can be mixed with the 5000+ series rotors.

Is it possible to mix the MP's and PGP's on the same zone? I'm thinking of pulling the Rain Bird Maxi-Paws on the same zone and putting the PGP's in their place. Is this a good idea? I'm hoping it will help with the flow rates.

I'm also thinking of pulling all my other maxi-paws on other zones (mixed with rotors on the same zone) and going for Rotors across the board.

I'm just trying to make sure I mate the right rotors with the right rotary pop-ups. I know it seems to be a waste, but I am tired of dealing with fixing the impacts and constantly adjusting with hopes to make things right.